St. Maria Goretti

Summary

Podcast Summary: Catholic Saints – Episode on St. Maria Goretti

Podcast Information:

• Title: Catholic Saints
• Host/Author: Augustine Institute
• Episode: St. Maria Goretti
• Release Date: July 6, 2025

---

Introduction

In the July 6, 2025 episode of Catholic Saints, hosted by Mary and featuring Dr. Ariel Harms from the Augustine Institute, listeners are introduced to the life and legacy of St. Maria Goretti. The episode aims to inspire and encourage the faithful by exploring the virtues and heroic actions of this young saint.

Mary [00:02]: "You're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints... Hello. Welcome to Catholic Saints. My name is Mary and I'm joined with Dr. Ariel Harms. Thanks for joining today."

Dr. Ariel Harms [00:26]: "Thanks for having me."

Early Life of St. Maria Goretti

St. Maria Goretti was born in October 1890 in Coronaldo, Italy, into a poor farming family. She was the third of seven children, born to Luigi and Assunta Goretti.

Dr. Ariel Harms [01:08]: "She was born in October of 1890 and her parents were Luigi and Assunta. She was the third of seven children born in a town called Coronaldo, Italy."

Growing up, Maria's family faced significant hardships. They lost their farm when she was just five years old and moved multiple times, ultimately working on other farms. In 1899, Maria's father Luigi succumbed to malaria, leaving the family in even greater distress.

Dr. Ariel Harms [02:23]: "Shortly after the move in 1899, her father Luigi caught malaria and died."

Despite these challenges, Maria became a pillar of support for her mother and siblings. At nine years old, she took on significant household responsibilities, demonstrating remarkable maturity and dedication.

Dr. Ariel Harms [02:23]: "Nine-year-old Maria was a great support and help to her mother. While her mother and her siblings were working in the field, she would take care of housework and watching her youngest sister Teresa."

The Tragic Event and Martyrdom

Maria's life took a tragic turn on July 5, 1902, when Alessandro Serenelli, the 20-year-old son of a family they lived with, attempted to assault her. Maria courageously resisted his advances, leading Alessandro to stab her 14 times. Although she didn't die instantly, her injuries were fatal, and she passed away the following day after receiving the sacraments.

Dr. Ariel Harms [03:36]: "Alessandro actually ended up making a couple of sexual advances on Maria... he stabbed her 14 times with an awl and then left her to die and ran away."

Despite the brutality of the attack, Maria's response was marked by profound forgiveness. Before her death, she forgave Alessandro, expressing a desire for him to join her in heaven.

Dr. Ariel Harms [05:01]: "She forgave Alessandro before she died. She was worried about her mother... she wanted to make sure that he was with her in heaven."

Forgiveness and Legacy

Maria's act of forgiveness extended beyond her final moments. Her mother also forgave Alessandro, and both stood together during Maria's beatification in Rome—a rare occurrence as it was likely one of the first instances where a mother's presence was integral to the beatification of her child.

Dr. Ariel Harms [05:39]: "Her mother stood out on the balcony with Pope Pius XII and three of her siblings there when they announced that she was beatified."

Maria's willingness to forgive even her attacker is a cornerstone of her legacy, highlighting themes of mercy and unconditional love.

Beatification and Canonization

St. Maria Goretti's path to sainthood was notably swift, attributed to miracles attributed to her intercession and the strong popular devotion she inspired. Her canonization process was expedited, reflecting the immediate recognition of her virtuous life and martyrdom.

Dr. Ariel Harms [06:17]: "There were miracles attributed to her and there was a popular piety that sprang up there."

Virtues Exemplified by St. Maria Goretti

Maria is celebrated for her courage and chastity, especially remarkable given her young age. At 11 years old, she exhibited extraordinary bravery in resisting her attacker and maintaining her purity despite immense pressure.

Dr. Ariel Harms [07:02]: "Courage and chastity are what first come to mind... to have that kind of courage, to be able to say, no, this is wrong, is amazing."

Her humility and selflessness are further evidenced by her interactions during her final hours, where she prioritized others' well-being over her own.

Dr. Ariel Harms [09:28]: "It's pretty clear that she was, during that whole time, was not thinking of herself... she was thinking of her mother, she was thinking of her attacker, she was thinking of her siblings, but never of herself."

Pastoral Applications and Patronages

St. Maria Goretti serves as a model for young people, demonstrating that significant virtue and saintliness are attainable from a young age. Her life underscores the importance of early moral formation and the continual pursuit of holiness.

Dr. Ariel Harms [11:09]: "We tend to let people, let children get away with things... Maria shows us that the work of forming saints starts when we're young."

Maria is recognized as the patron saint of youth, teenage girls, people suffering from poverty, and forgiveness, offering intercession and inspiration to those in need of these virtues.

Mary [13:11]: "She's the patron of youth, teenage girls, people who are suffering from poverty. Also a patron saint for forgiveness."

Conclusion

The episode concludes by reflecting on the profound impact of St. Maria Goretti's life and her enduring legacy of forgiveness and virtue. Mary and Dr. Ariel Harms emphasize the relevance of Maria's story in inspiring listeners to pursue holiness and embody forgiveness in their own lives.

Mary [13:30]: "I love her story, and it really convicts me... how someone like Maria forgave someone who did such an attack on her. How can I more deeply be called to levels of forgiveness in my own life."

Listeners are encouraged to seek St. Maria Goretti's intercession and emulate her remarkable virtues in their daily lives.

Mary [13:40]: "Saint Maria Goretti. Pray for us."

---

Notable Quotes:

• Mary [00:02]: "This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an apostolate helping Catholics understand, live and share their faith."

• Dr. Ariel Harms [06:42]: "When even the person who attacks you ends up proclaiming your virtue. That's pretty powerful."

• Mary [11:12]: "We often underestimate that potential as well."

• Dr. Ariel Harms [12:46]: "She's the youngest canonized saint."

---

This episode of Catholic Saints offers a comprehensive and heartfelt exploration of St. Maria Goretti's life, highlighting her unwavering faith, extraordinary forgiveness, and the powerful example she sets for both the young and the devout. Through engaging dialogue and insightful reflections, Mary and Dr. Ariel Harms provide listeners with a deeper appreciation of Maria's sainthood and its relevance to contemporary faith journeys.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints. This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an apostolate helping Catholics understand, live and share their faith. Hello. Welcome to Catholic Saints. My name is Mary and I'm joined with Dr. Ariel Harms. Thanks for joining today.

[B]

Thanks for having me.

[A]

I'm excited about this saint. We're going to talk about Saint Maria Goretti today. The hope of this podcast is to look at the lives of saints for sources of inspiration, hope and encouragement on our own earthly pilgrimage. So I have a particular devotion to St. Maria Gretti. She is my confirmation saint and we have a beautiful image of her that we're looking at right now as well. So love the saint. Thank you for sharing about her life with us today. Let's just begin with when is her feast day? When does the church honor her?

[B]

So the church celebrates her feast day on July 6th.

[A]

Okay. A summer saint. That's fun.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And what do we know about her early childhood, where she's from? Let's start at the beginning.

[B]

Sure. So she was born in October of 1890 and her parents were Luigi and Assunta. She was the third of seven children born in a town called Coronaldo, Italy. And her parents were farm workers.

[A]

Okay. Another Italian saint. There's so many.

[B]

There's so many Italian saints. I heard actually that they have a better process than other places for getting people through the canonization process. So I'm sure we have saints here too. We just aren't as familiar with the ways of Rome as they are.

[A]

That's right. We have more red tape.

[B]

I guess they know the red tape better. Maybe the ways around it too.

[A]

Yes. Now we need to look more to these holy people. So she grew up in a family of farmers.

[B]

Yeah. So her parents were farm workers. They were so poor they were actually forced to give up their farm when she was about 5. So they ended up working for other farms. They moved around a bit, moving in 1896 and then again in 1899. And shortly after the move in 1899, her father Luigi caught malaria and died.

[A]

Okay, wow.

[B]

So then her mother had to struggle to make ends meet. And nine year old Maria was a great support and help to her mother. While her mother and her siblings were working in the field, she would take care of housework and watching her youngest sister Teresa and, you know, keep the house clean and cook the meals and things like that.

[A]

Yeah. Wow. So she had to be quite the helper at a very young age. Did you say was she in the middle of her family? You said, I think there was seven children.

[B]

Yeah. So she was in the middle.

[A]

Okay. So definitely a helper for her mom in taking care of these young ones. Was malaria a common plague at that.

[B]

Time, or it's one of those diseases that you catch from mosquito bites. So I don't know how they also lived in a kind of swampy area. That part of Italy is kind of swampy.

[A]

Yeah. So it's a great destitution. What is really her story about her? It's helpful to know just that destitution and poverty that she grew up in and likely the maturity that she was forced into from a young age.

[B]

Right, right. Cause she was taking care of everyone. So her situation was her family shared a house with other families, among them a man named Giovanni serinelli and his 20 year old son Alessandro. And Alessandro actually ended up making a couple of sexual advances on Maria. And on July 5, 1902, he found Maria doing housework while watching Teresa and he tried to pull her into a bedroom and tried to rape her. But when she struggled and refused, he stabbed her 14 times with an awl and then left her to die and ran away. Yeah.

[A]

Brutal death.

[B]

Brutal death, yes. Now, she didn't die right then and there. The baby Teresa was crying. And that crying summoned Maria's mother and Alessandro's father, who came and found her and got her to the hospital where she died of her wounds the next day after receiving the sacraments and forgiving her murderer.

[A]

Okay. I didn't know. That she didn't die on the spot.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That she was relocated. Fascinating. Okay, you said. Can you lean into that last part a little bit? Is it known she forgave Alessandro before she died?

[B]

Yes. So she forgave Alessandro before she died. That's one of the things that's documented. I mean, documented that she was worried about her mother before she died. She was also forgave Alessandro and wanted to make sure that he was with her in heaven.

[A]

Do they? That's incredible. What do we know about her mother as well after her death?

[B]

If so, I don't know how much we know about her mother immediately following her death. Her mother did eventually forgive Alessandro too.

[A]

Okay, okay.

[B]

And then her mother was present at her beatification in Rome.

[A]

Wow, that's incredible.

[B]

Yeah. Her mother stood, you know, out on the balcony with Pope Pius XII and three of her siblings there when they announced that she was beatified, which I don't know that there's any other saint. She was probably one of the first whose mother was present there. When she was beatified.

[A]

That is so unique. I mean, I'm thinking of, you know, Blessed Carlo Kudis. He has that unique. His mother can attend his canonization, which is so. And siblings as well. Do you know what's your hunch of why her beatification? Her canonization process was so quick?

[B]

I think there were miracles attributed to her and there was a popular piety that sprang up there.

[A]

Yep. It was like rapid fire.

[B]

It was. Yeah, it was pretty fast. In proclaiming her virtue. Right. And then to. Yeah. Have people. I mean, when even. When Even the person who attacks you ends up proclaiming your virtue. That's pretty powerful.

[A]

Yes. Now, that is an incredible story of forgiveness. That is very admirable. Can you specify a little more what virtues we attribute to Saint Maria Goretti? When. Yeah, we just think about her life. I mean, when she died. She's such a young, young saint too.

[B]

Right. Courage and chastity are what first come to mind. Right. Courage in being so young. Right. She was nine years younger than her attacker. We have to figure she was also significantly, you know, smaller.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Barely not even a teenager. And so to have that kind of courage, to be able to say, no, this is wrong, is amazing. And then, you know, her chastity, because she could have easily given in to him.

[A]

Yeah. Right. That is incredible. How old was she when she died?

[B]

So she was 11 when she died.

[A]

That is. Yes. When I was thinking of confirmation scenes back in the day, I do remember her youth was one thing that really drew me to her and her purity. I know she often is carrying a lily. A lily flower associated with. With the story that you just shared.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So beautiful. What do we know about Alessandro?

[B]

Yeah. So Alessandro was, at the beginning, unrepentant. Okay. And eventually it was decided to sentence him to prison for 30 years. So. Because there was question about him receiving a life sentence, but they decided his maturity level wasn't very high, so they didn't want to. Or even a death sentence at that point for his crimes. But because of his maturity level, they ended up sentencing him for 30 years, and he was unrepentant. But three years into his prison sentence, he had a vision or a dream about Maria, and he saw her gathering flowers and giving them to him, a sign of forgiveness. And that dream brings him to repentance, and he's able to ask her mother for forgiveness.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And receive forgiveness. And then when he finishes his sentence, he actually becomes a Franciscan lay brother.

[A]

Yes. Okay, that. Thank you for sharing about that. And as you were just sharing about that vision with Maria years later, I was just struck once again at the immediacy of Maria's forgiveness to him as well. I'm on a repeat. But it just strikes me that she forgave him within 24 hours, you know, before she died.

[B]

Right. Before she died.

[A]

And that. Yeah, that's just really remarkable.

[B]

Right. It's pretty clear that she was, during that whole time, was not thinking of herself, Right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Like, from the time that she was stabbed until the time that she died, she was thinking of her mother, she was thinking of her attacker, she was thinking of her siblings, but never of herself. There was even a story that I saw where she was talking to someone in the hospital, and person in the hospital, I guess, said to her, remember me when you're in heaven? And she said, well, what if you get there first? And the person in the hospital is like, no, you'll definitely be there first. She's like, okay, I'll pray for you then.

[A]

So humble.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Right. Oh, that's beautiful. So she. Okay. She appeared to Alessandra in that vision. What else? I believe he became a brother. Is that correct?

[B]

Yeah, he became a Franciscan brother.

[A]

Okay. Wonderful. And even just his story, too, is incredible. Is. Is it true? Is his cause up for beatification or. I don't know. His story is also.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Just incredible story. Like St. Paul conversion.

[B]

His conversion is pretty remarkable. Right. But when. I mean. And we all have the saints praying for us. I was gonna say, when you have saints praying for you, it makes it easier. Right. We all have saints praying for us, so.

[A]

Yeah. She in particular was doing such great intercession for him as well. Even in heaven, are there particular pastoral applications? Saint Maria teaches us? How can we really look for her in our life for intercession?

[B]

Yeah. I think she helps us to see that young people are capable of great virtue.

[A]

Right. Amen. That's a great point.

[B]

We tend to let people, let children get away with things. Right. And to say, oh, it's okay, they'll grow up or grow out of it. And Maria shows us that actually, you know, the work of forming saints and the work of being saints starts when we're young. Right. Because one, we don't know how long we're going to have, and two, because that type of virtue isn't something that you just automatically have once you reach a certain age. Right. We have to work on it from a young age. And that actually makes it stronger.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So to have those. The ideal of virtue instilled in us, we have to imagine that her parents were very devout, although I don't know that we know much about her, their piety, or her religious life as a child. But to see, you know, the way it comes out in her own life shows us that she had some kind of formation and virtue there that really took root.

[A]

No, that's a great. A great example. Just the power of grace as well. From a young, young age, the. The power and ability to be on great mission and in great, great relationship with Lord. I. I think that we often underestimate that potential as well. So that's a great point. And did you say, is she one of the youngest saints?

[B]

So she's the youngest canonized saint. So while we may know of saints from earlier periods that are popularly recognized as saints that might be younger, she actually holds the honor of being the youngest person who's gone through the modern process of saint making.

[A]

Okay, the youngest Canaanite saint. And who is she the patron of?

[B]

So she's the patron of youth, teenage girls, people who are suffering from poverty. Also a patron saint for forgiveness?

[A]

Yes. Absolutely. Wonderful. Was there anything else about her life that we might have missed?

[B]

I can't really think of anything so beautiful.

[A]

I love her story, and it really convicts me, too, of. Of the more that I'm called to the. The greatness that we're all called to. And even just from a young age, like you were saying, we have this invitation to follow the Lord radically, courageously, boldly. And how someone like Maria forgave someone who did such an attack on her. How can I more deeply be called to levels of forgiveness in my own life, in my daily life as well? So thank you, Dr. Ariel, for guiding us on her story once again. Her feast day is July 6th, and thank you for listening. Saint Maria Goretti. Pray for us.